Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — MOTOR SPORTS Schumacher to return

Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is coming out of retirement to drive for Mercedes in 2010. The German, who turns 41 on Jan. 3, announced his comeback after three years away from the sport that he dominated for the first half of the decade. Schumacher, who will join Nico Rosberg in an all-German team for the 2010 season, said he and Mercedes are in discussions about a deal through the 2012 season. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Germany’s Bild daily reported that Schumacher would earn $10 million under an initial one-year contract. Schumacher competed in 249 Formula One races from 1991-2006 with Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari. He won the driver’s championship in 1994 and 1995 and five consecutive years from 2000-2004. He set records with 91 race victories and several other milestones in the sport which still stand.

BASEBALL

Braves, Glaus reach deal

The Atlanta Braves are hoping longtime third baseman Troy Glaus can fill the team’s void at first base. The Braves have reached a preliminary agreement on a oneyear contract with Glaus, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Glaus has played third base most of his career but the Braves probably would use the 33-year-old at first base in place of Adam LaRoche, who became a free agent. Glaus played in two games at first base for the St. Louis Cardinals this year after missing most of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery. He hit .172 in only 14 games.

Outfielder Brian Anderson and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a $700,000, one-year contract. The 27-year old can make an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses. He hit just .238 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI in 185 at-bats for the Chicago White Sox last season, thenwas traded July 28 to the Boston Red Sox for Mark Kotsay and hit .294 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI in 17 at-bats.

Nick Johnson returned to the New York Yankees, finalizing a $5.5 million, one-year contract to be a designated hitter and No. 2 batter. Johnson can earn about $1 million more in performance bonuses. Johnson played his first three years with the Yankees before he was traded to the Montreal Expos after the 2003 season.

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that reliever Fernando Rodney has reached a preliminary agreement with the Los Angeles Angels on a two-year deal worth $11 million. Rodney spent the past seven seasons in the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen, including the past two as their closer. The hard-throwing right-hander had 37 saves last season with a 4.40 ERA and just one blown save.

BOXING

Pacquiao fight likely off

The promoter for boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao says a fightagainst Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not happen unless Mayweather’s camp drops its insistence for Olympic-style blood testing. Promoter Bob Arum says if that doesn’t happen by today, the proposed March 13 fight that would have likely been the richest ever in boxing is over. Arum accused Mayweather’s camp of raising the issue not because they were worried about Pacquiao taking performance-enhancing substances, but because Mayweather never wanted to fight in the first place. Arum said that Pacquiao would agree to testing by the same agencies that test pro football and baseball players, but not for random tests by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. He said that Pacquiao still plans to fight March 13, and will now look for another opponent.

BASKETBALL Pierce out two weeks

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce will miss the next two weeks with a knee infection. Pierce did not make the trip to Orlando with the team for a Christmas Day game against the Magic. Instead, he had fluid drained from his right knee. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said Pierce complained of soreness after Tuesday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been cleared for tougher workouts on his injured left knee, moving the No. 1 draft pick closer to his NBA debut. Griffin underwent a magnetic resonance imaging on his broken left kneecap Tuesday, and was cleared to begin running on an antigravity treadmill. If his recovery progresses as planned, the former Oklahoma star will be allowed to resume basketball activities in about three weeks.

Pau Gasol knows he surprised nobody by agreeing to a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers nearly two seasons before it kicks in. After a rough start to his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Spanish 7-footer had been vocal about his desire to stick with the defending champions well into the future. Gasol’s deal extends through the 2013-2014 season, and could be worth more than $60 million depending on future salary caps. The club is 101-23 in regular-season games with Gasol in the lineup.

HOCKEY Defenseman sidelined

New Jersey Devils defenseman Paul Martin will be sidelined another month after having a setback in his recovery from a broken left forearm. Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello said Wednesday that Martin had minor surgery on his arm Tuesday. The Devils executive said the outside of the fracture was healing but the inside was not healing at the rate the doctors wanted. Martin broke his arm Oct. 24 when he was hit by a Bill Guerin shot in a game at Pittsburgh.

The Dallas Stars have sent defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy back to the minor leagues. The 21-year-old Russian was assigned to the Texas Stars of the AHL on Wednesday, two days after he gave a goal to the San Jose Sharks when he lost control of the puck and it slid into an empty net. He has 4 goals and 9 assists in 33 games with the Texas Stars.

BASEBALL Major league umpires reach 5-year deal

NEW YORK - Major League Baseball and its umpires have reached an agreement on a five year labor contract running through December 2014.

The sides worked into Tuesday evening to reach the deal and announced it Wednesday morning.

Owners and the World Umpires Association hope to ratify the agreement next month. Owners meet Jan. 14 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the umpires hold their annual gathering a few days later.

Management has been seeking to gain increased flexibility on postseason assignments as part of the agreement, which could allow umpires to work the World Series in consecutive seasons. Following a series of missed calls during the playoffs, MLB went with an all veteran crew of six umpires in this year’s World Series.

This marks the second consecutive agreement between the sides reached without acrimony. In September 1999, 22 umpires lost their jobs as part of a failed mass resignation ahead of bargaining. Half of them were eventually rehired.

Joe West, rehired in 2002, replaced John Hirschbeck as WUA president in February. The WUA took over as the bargaining representative before the 2000 season, replacing Richie Phillips’ Major League Umpires Association, which was headed by Jerry Crawford.